ORC ring of five busted in Peoria, Ariz., hitting 43 Valley
storesFive people have been arrested for allegedly using specially
designed pants to steal from numerous drug stores throughout the
West Valley. Police said for more than a month they worked with
investigators from Walgreens and CVS to identify who was behind
the string of thefts. According to authorities, more than
$30,000 worth of merchandise had been taken from stores in
Peoria, Phoenix, Goodyear, Avondale and the Litchfield Park
area. After the suspects stole the merchandise they would
allegedly turn around and sell the items to other people for
cash. (Source azfamily.com) (Source kpho.com)

Boston
ring leader and store owner busted using "runners" with stolen
identities & fake credit cards to buy cell phones & high-end
electronics for re-saleFrom his kiosk in Boston’s Downtown
Crossing, a man led a sprawling identity theft ring that
netted tens of thousands of dollars. The operation was
abruptly halted after Shahab ­“David” Yousheei, 36, was
arrested Thursday morning on Boston Common when he
allegedly tried to buy counterfeit money in a sting
operation. Authorities said Yousheei carried out his
scheme by using stolen identities to create credit
cards, using those to buy gift cards, and then selling
merchandise that he purchased with the gift cards. He is
also accused of buying smartphones with stolen
identities at discounted prices for new account holders
and selling the phones for a profit. Further, Yousheei
provided associates with an illegal credit card encoder
so they could make cards with stolen identities.
(Source
cbslocal.com)

Leader of identity theft ring sentenced to 12 years
Lawrence Fudge, 47 years of age, originally of Philadelphia, was
sentenced to 144 months in prison for running a fraud and
identity theft ring in Philadelphia for at least six years.
Fudge pleaded guilty in December 2012 to conspiracy, six counts
of bank fraud, eight counts of access device fraud, and 18
counts of aggravated identity theft. According to federal
authorities, some examples of Fudge’s fraud include: in August
2011, accounts at Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Target were opened
using the identity of victim C.S. More than $8,000 in purchases
were made with those fraudulent accounts and more than $1,500
was fraudulently withdrawn from her Bank of America bank
account. In that same timeframe, accounts at Lowe’s, Target, and
Sam’s Club were opened using the identity of victim M.W. with
more than $15,000 in purchases made with those fraudulent
accounts, and additional accounts at Best Buy and Staples
attempted to be opened. Also in that same time frame, accounts
at Home Depot, Lowe’s, Best Buy, and Target were opened using
the identity of victim P.V. with more than $10,000 in purchases
made with those fraudulent accounts.
(Source westmorelandtimes.com)
Old fashion Train Robberies, happen everyday; operated by highly
Organized Theft Rings. California is the
leader, but followed closely by New Jersey, Chicago and Florida,
these train robberies are costing retailer millions.
Investigations reveal that suspects spend days researching train
yards, and then hide under the axels waiting for the right time
to hit. (Source
kpho.com)